The Watch
by Sophia Rose Uchiha
Summary: A horse farm owner is taken to the world of her favorite series when a mysterious box is delivered to her. She soon discovers that her presence and actions can alter the timeline of events, and assuming that things will happen how she knows them to can be a grave mistake. NOTE: This story contains some OOC moments. /gallery/44694451/Naruto-World-Arcs
1. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT!**

 **This story is the _text_ version of a story I have going through HARPG on DeviantArt (HorseArt-RolePlayGame) where my stable owner is able to travel to and from the Naruto World. Some concepts and chapters are co-written by a friend on DA. You can find her by following the below link and looking into the original version of the story.**

 **The original is both literature AND art based, so I highly encourage you to check it out! This version is in 1st person POV, however the original is No/ Nuetral POV. Some original characters in this story may act OOC, due to timeline and event changes, and changes caused by the presence of new people/ characters. Please keep this in mind as you read!**

 **Follow this link to check it out! 3 gallery/44694451/Naruto-World-Arcs**

 **If you by chance play HARPG, I have even created a horse breed through the story! :D Enjoy!~**

* * *

I yawned and fought the urge to fall asleep standing as I poured my first cup of coffee for the day. At 4:30 in the morning, I had a lot of work ahead of me. I slipped my boots on and headed out to the barn, my two canine companions tailing behind me. I laughed, sliding open the barn door as the two dogs tore down the isle. They stopped occasionally to give a greeting to the horses. Mako, the male german shepherd loved Nali the most. As he stopped to say hello to her, Korra, the female german shepherd, stopped to say hello to Ben, her barn favorite. I shivered and took another swig of my coffee. Just as it's rumored to be, the New England weather was being unpredictable, dropping down to 20 degrees overnight. The barn was chilly, and I could easily see My breath leave my mouth.

I set the coffee down on the little table below the white board which held announcements for workers, and set off to dish out morning hay and grain. Currently, only six horses lived on the farm, so there wasn't much to feed out. After they were happily eating, I sat down in the barn lounge and turned up the heat. Mako and Korra curled up in their crates to take a nap, and I decided it was time to head back to the house to eat something myself. I rose from my chair and stretched, turning towards the door. Just before I was about to leave the warmth of the lounge, a knock rapped on the door. I stood up from the couch in the center and walked over to the door, wondering who the hell was here at 5am. I stepped out into the barn isle, but saw no one. The only visible horse was Ben, who had his head hanging over the stall door watching me intently. I walked over to him and took his head in my arms. He was such a love.

"Don't worry, boy. Mara will be by later to see you." Ben snorted and retreated back into the stall to finish his hay. Mara was the girl who owned him, and my best friend. Tyson let out a soft nicker before trying to nip at Rio through the small gaps in the boarding between their stalls. Rio replied with a shrill screech and a kick to the back wall. "Knock it off!" I yelled, peering in at the black and white appaloosa sport horse, who looked back at me sheepishly for being scolded. After checking the other horses, I turned to head back to the lounge to grab my coffee before heading back to the house.

That was when I saw it. Lying in the middle of the barn isle was a small brown box wrapped with a light pink bow. What the-? I thought, walking over to it and picking it up. There was a card on top. "Open in privacy." it said. That's...odd. I walked into the lounge and sett the package down on the table. I hesitated for a moment before tearing it open.

Inside lay a small watch. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands. It was a pocket-watch-style wristwatch. The top was only a metal cover with the letter "K" on it. I turned it over a couple more times but found nothing else. I flipped open the latch expecting to find a clock inside, but instead I found a button. It was the same shade of red as the K on the latch. "What do you think, guys?" I asked, looking over at Mako and Korra. They just looked up from their nap, then went back to sleep. "Okay then." I hesitated for one moment, then pressed the button.

I suddenly saw nothing. It was pure darkness. For a moment I began to panic, not sure what was happening. I had thought the watch was a prank from Nokaia. He was well known around the barn for practical jokes. I had never thought something would actually happened.

 _Mari_

Despite the pure darkness, I spun around.

"Hello?" I called, hearing my voice echo.

 _Mari Hemmingway_

This time I said nothing. I couldn't say anything. I was silent with terror. Part of me still hoped it was a joke from Nokaia, and that any minute he would say 'you've been served' or something lame like he usually does.

But as usual, I was wrong.

 _Your wish has been granted._

"Wish!? Granted!? Granted by WHO!?" I yelled, hoping for some type of answer. However it was too late. I found myself rushing towards a beam of light, and suddenly fell hard to the ground. I immediately jumped up and looked around, and that was where the problem lied. I recognized the town I was in, only it wasn't a town. It was a village. Not just any village, however. As I turned around in disbelief, I realized where I was. It was Konohagakure, or "Konoha." I was in the Naruto world.


	2. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT!**

 **This story is the _text_ version of a story I have going through HARPG on DeviantArt (HorseArt-RolePlayGame) where my stable owner is able to travel to and from the Naruto World. Some concepts and chapters are co-written by a friend on DA. You can find her by following the below link and looking into the original version of the story.**

 **The original is both literature AND art based, so I highly encourage you to check it out! This version is in 1st person POV, however the original is No/ Nuetral POV. Some original characters in this story may act OOC, due to timeline and event changes, and changes caused by the presence of new people/ characters. Please keep this in mind as you read!**

 **Follow this link to check it out! 3 gallery/44694451/Naruto-World-Arcs**

 **If you by chance play HARPG, I have even created a horse breed through the story! :D Enjoy!~**

* * *

I couldn't believe what was happening. I wandered aimlessly through the streets of Konohagakure. People mostly kept to themselves, aside from shooting me curious glances. _"What do I do now? Where do I go?"_

 _Mari_

 _"Great. It's that voice again,"_ I thought. "What do you want?" I called aloud, mentally kicking myself. " _Talking to voices in my head. That meant I was insane, right? So this is all a figment of my crazy imagination."_

 _This world is very real, Mari. It's a whole other dimension that you are now able to travel to and from, thanks to the watch around your wrist._

I looked down at the watch, which was secured safely around my wrist.

 _Do not take that watch off while you're here, Mari. It is your only way back to your own dimensi_ on.

I turned down an empty alley quiet enough to hear the voice.

"So, this place is real? It's not my imagination?" I asked.

 _Correct. You must remember that. This is a very dangerous world, even if you choose not to be a ninja. There are no guns, however the weapons in this dimension make up for that. Some jutsu are much stronger than any gun could hope to be. Also, if you die here, you die forever. You will not be able to return to your own dimension and continue living there. It's not a video game you can re-spawn in. This world is just as real as your own. The question is, what would you like to do?_

"Well, I guess I want to be a ninja." I said, growing giddy at the thought. "Being a ninja would be awesome!"

 _Very well. Head over to the academy. Preparations have been made._

I immediately headed back out to the street, but stopped. There were two ways I could go, but where was the academy?

 _Go left. That is all the help I can offer._

I turned left, and while I walked something occurred to me. "Who are you, anyway?" I whispered, not wanting other people to hear me and think I was crazy for talking to myself. However, the voice didn't answer.

"Great." I sighed. "Leave just when I start to have questions."

After walking for a good ten minutes, just as I was beginning to get worried that I was lost, someone who seemed about my own age turned down the road a few feet ahead of me. They looked oddly familiar. _"Good! I can ask them!"_

"Hey!" I called, jogging to catch up to the boy. He turned around when at the sound of me calling out to him, and waited for me to reach him. "I'm lost." I panted, resting my hands on my knees to catch my breath. "I'm trying to find the academy."

I stood up and watched the boy's curios expression, recognizing him as Kiba, and glanced up to see Akamaru on his head. "The academy is this way." He said, pointing in the direction we were heading. "I was actually on my way there, so you can just come along with me." He offered.

I nodded and fell into step beside him. "So, what's your name?" he asked. The hood of his jacket was back, showing his short brown hair.

 _"My first name is odd enough to work, but my last name would be way to unusual for this dimension."_ I thought. "I'm Mari. Mari...Umanaka."

Kiba smiled. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is Akamaru." he looked up at Akamaru, who barked.

"He's adorable." I complimented, and Akamaru woofed at me happily. He wiggled off of Kiba's head and onto his shoulder, where he jumped into my arms. Kiba looked at them in shock.

"Wow. He really likes you. He's never responded to anyone else so well except for me." he said, staring wide-eyed at Akamaru, who looked back at him happily and woofed. I patted the small white pup on his head and once he was content he jumped back to Kiba, who smiled and shook his head.

"I'm really good with animals. Its my one true calling." I said, thinking about my animals back home. "Especially with horses."

"Well, if Akamaru likes you that much then you can't be too bad of a person. Dogs are very good judges of character."

I smiled, thinking of Mako and Korra, who were always quick to let me know if someone couldn't be trusted. "They certainly are."

"Do you have a dog then?" He asked, noticing the fond smile on my face. "I have two back home. Mako and Korra. They're amazing animals. Very loyal and trustworthy."

Kiba nodded. "Maybe they could play with Akamaru one day."

"Maybe." I said, wondering if bringing Mako and Korra to this dimension would be a good idea.

We walked silently the rest of the way. I got lost in my own thoughts, only breaking from my revere when Kiba said "Hey. We're here." I looked up to see the giant building towering before me. All of the voice's warnings replayed through my head. _"Do I really want to do this?"_


	3. Chapter 3

**IMPORTANT!**

 **This story is the _text_ version of a story I have going through HARPG on DeviantArt (HorseArt-RolePlayGame) where my stable owner is able to travel to and from the Naruto World. Some concepts and chapters are co-written by a friend on DA. You can find her by following the below link and looking into the original version of the story.**

 **The original is both literature AND art based, so I highly encourage you to check it out! This version is in 1st person POV, however the original is No/ Nuetral POV. Some original characters in this story may act OOC, due to timeline and event changes, and changes caused by the presence of new people/ characters. Please keep this in mind as you read!**

 **Follow this link to check it out! 3 gallery/44694451/Naruto-World-Arcs**

 **If you by chance play HARPG, I have even created a horse breed through the story! :D Enjoy!~**

* * *

 _"What the hell are you thinking!? Of course you want to do this! You can actually be a real bonified ninja now!"_ I thought to myself, staring in awe at the academy building. I was lost in thought and for a moment, completely forgetting that Kiba was standing right next to me.

"Uhh...Mari? Are you okay? If we don't move now, we'll be late for class."

I looked at Kibam and smiled. "Yeah. Sorry. I zoned out." He glanced at me curiously, but started walking towards the door, which he held open for me. "Thanks." I said, passing him and entering the hallway. "Which door is it?" I asked, following him as he walked down the hall.

He stopped outside the fourth door. "This one. Room 104."

I took a deep breath before following Kiba into the classroom, not sure how anyone would react. I reminded myself that though it was not my own dimension, people seemed to act similarly to normal humans.

Iruka looked up as I entered with Kiba, and when his eyes fell on me his expression grew curious. As Kiba took his seat, I went down to the front of the classroom to speak with Iruka. "Can I help you?" he asked, and I looked around nervously. "Yes. I'm a new student."

An expression I couldn't place passed over his face, but it then turned to a smile. "We've never had a new student before. It's rare that anyone moves out of their home village. Where are you from?" he asked.

I started to panic. I hadn't thought this far ahead. "I'm from the, uh, Sand Village." I scrambled to say the first village that came to mind.

"Ahh. Sunagakure. Okay, so your transferring from their academy?"

I nodded. "Alright. Find a seat. I'm sad to say you're joining us just a few days before our graduation exams, however if you paid attention back in the sand village you should be just fine." I nodded again and went in search of a seat. There were four open, one next to Kiba, two next to Naruto, and one next to Shikamaru. I wasn't sure which one to take. Kiba was great, but I wanted a chance to meet someone else as well.

Just as I was about to play it safe and head over to Kiba, someone took the empty seat beside him. I re-checked my options. Naruto and Shikamaru. Naruto was loud and annoying and Shikamaru was shrewd and lazy. Naruto was staring off into space all by himself, so I decided to take the seat next to him. Shikamaru always had Chouji, but Naruto semed lonely.

"Hi." I said, smiling as Naruto looked up at me in shock. He looked around him and then back at me. "Uhh. Hi." He said, his eyes curious.

"Mind if I sit next to you?" Naruto nodded and I took the seat beside him.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Mari."

"Nice to meet you, Mari. I'm Naruto! I'm going to be the next Hokage! Believe it!" he shouted loudly, causing everyone in the room to roll their eyes.

 _"Holy crap! He really says that!"_ I thought, smiling and nodding. "That's awesome!" Naruto, who was used to be laughed at whenever he said something to that effect, looked even more shocked.

"Hey." I looked up at him from where I had been staring. "Why did you want to sit next to me?" He had grown serious, almost like he was thinking of something sad, then looked at me.

"You seemed lonely." I said after a few moments. "Loneliness is a terrible feeling." I stared off into space, remembering a past event from my normal life; one that I didn't feel like getting into at the moment, so I was grateful when Iruka called the class to order.

\+ + + + +

After class, I said goodbye to Naruto, then to Kiba, and headed towards the woods. _"Where should I go now? I guess I could head back."_ I thought, glancing down at her watch.

 _In this dimension, you live on a farm with your parents. It's just up the road from here. You could go see them today, or go back home. They're used to you being gone for days at a time, so no, your parents would not find it odd if you weren't here._

I sighed. The voice was back. I was beginning to get used to it, but it was still a shock sometimes. _"So, time passes normally here as well?"_ I thought.

 _Yes. Right now it is about three pm, so it will be 3pm back home as well._

 _"Crap!"_ I thought. Everyone was probably wondering where I was! Without another word, I flipped open the watch and pressed the button. I instantly found myself in the lounge back at the barn, literally face to face with Mara, who had been walking in, our faces were inches apart.

Mara jumped back and screamed, causing Ben to whinny from down the barn isle. Her face turned ghost white before managing to stutter out "WHA?..WHERE DID YOU?...HOW!?"

I sighed. _"Crap. I need to be more careful next time."_ I sat Mara down on the couch and explained the whole situation to her. Once I was done, Mara nodded.

"Makes sense." She said after hearing me through to the end. "But only because you literally teleported here before my eyes. If that hadn't just happened I would have you committed before the end of the night."

It was then that I realized something important. If I were to keep up with my life in the other dimension (which, let's face it. Who in their right mind would be willing to give it up?), I would need someone to manage the barn for me, since I couldn't be here all the time. "Mara, I need to ask for a favor. A BIG favor."

Mara nodded, encouraging me to go on.

"I can't be here all the time now. There are things i need to do in the other dimension."

Mara nodded again. "Yeah, and?"

"I need you to manage the barn for me."

Mara considered it for a few minutes. She had the qualifications. She co-managed a farm before with her mother. It was hard work, but at the moment there were only six horses. "Fine, but only if I get to hire some extra hands."

I smiled. "Of course." We shook hands to seal the deal. It was official. Vienna Farms had a new barn manager.


End file.
